Pregnant women should no longer be told not to eat raw or lightly cooked eggs, a safety committee has recommended.
The risk of salmonella from UK eggs produced to Lion code or equivalent standards should be considered “very low”, the Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food said.
It said this meant eggs could be served raw or lightly cooked to “vulnerable” groups like the elderly, pregnant women and the young.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has begun a consultation on the issue.
The committee’s report said there had been a “major reduction in the microbiological risk from salmonella in UK hen shell eggs” since a report it produced in 2001,
Its recommendation to classify certain eggs as “very low” risk only applies to UK hens’ eggs produced under Lion code or equivalent standards.
It also warns that safety guidelines including proper storage and eating eggs within best before dates must be followed.
The FSA said it had launched an eight-week consultation in response to the report.
Ensuing you use good quality eggs which meet the accredited standard is key, check with your supplier before you make any changes.